CHARPTER:3
696 Words
CHAPTER THREE: UNHOLY UNION
Zaria spent the next few days trapped between anger and inevitability.
The moment the engagement became official, her life would no longer be her own. Every move she made would be scrutinized by the press, investors, and the power brokers who thrived on Lagos’ ruthless business politics. But walking away meant risking everything her family had built.
And Tade Okoye? The thought of being tied to him made her stomach twist.
She had avoided him since that night in her father’s study, but that didn’t stop him from making his presence known. He sent contracts, meeting schedules, even a list of public appearances they’d need to make together. It was as if he had been waiting for this moment, relishing in the control he now had over her life.
By the fourth day, she had enough.
She found him at the Okoye corporate tower, a sleek glass-and-steel structure in the heart of Victoria Island. The lobby smelled of wealth—expensive cologne, polished floors, and the quiet hum of power plays being made behind closed doors.
The receptionist barely had time to stop her before she pushed into his office.
Tade sat behind his desk, dressed in a crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, his tie loosened slightly. He was flipping through documents, perfectly at ease in his kingdom.
He didn’t look up.
“You’re late,” he murmured.
Zaria slammed the door shut behind her. “I never agreed to a meeting.”
Now he looked up, dark eyes gleaming with amusement. “Yet here you are.”
She clenched her fists. “I came to tell you that this engagement is a joke.”
Tade leaned back in his chair, studying her. “And yet, you haven’t walked away.”
Zaria swallowed hard. He was right. As much as she hated him, she was still here. Because no matter how much she despised the idea, this was the only way to salvage the Adeyemi empire.
She crossed her arms, steeling herself. “We need to set some ground rules.”
Tade smirked. “By all means.”
“One. This is a business arrangement. Don’t expect anything more from me.”
He raised a brow. “Not even a goodnight kiss for the cameras?”
She glared at him. “Two. I have my own life, my own work. I won’t be your puppet.”
Tade stood, walking toward her with slow, measured steps. He towered over her, but she refused to step back.
“You don’t have to like me, Zaria,” he said softly. “But you will respect what we’re doing.”
She scoffed. “Respect? You expect me to play happy fiancée while you pull the strings?”
He tilted his head. “You’re the one who likes to be difficult. I’m simply making sure things stay on track.”
She narrowed her eyes. “You think you can control me?”
His gaze dropped to her lips for the briefest second before he leaned in just enough for her to feel the heat of his presence. “No, Zaria. I think I can outlast you.”
Her breath hitched.
She hated the way her pulse quickened, the way his presence unsettled her in a way no one else ever had.
She stepped back, regaining her composure. “I’m not some pawn in your power games, Tade.”
His smirk returned, lazy and confident. “Of course not. You’re a queen. But even queens have to make sacrifices.”
The tension in the room was suffocating.
She turned on her heel and walked toward the door. “Don’t mistake my silence for submission, Tade. This engagement might be necessary, but I will never be yours.”
She left before he could respond, but as she stepped out into the busy Lagos streets, she couldn’t shake the feeling that, somehow, she had already lost the first battle.
End of Chapter Three.
The enemies-to-lovers tension is really building now! Do you want me to move into their first public appearance together in Chapter Four, or should we dive deeper into the hidden threats to their families?
- Writer
